Battery power supply with facile alignment of battery module terminals

Abstract

Disclosed is a battery power supply comprising battery modules each having a plurality of cells electrically and mechanically connected together in a line; a battery case for holding the battery modules; end plates, respectively provided at both end portions of the battery case, for electrically connecting positive and negative terminals provided at both ends of each of the battery modules, the positive and negative terminals having same or similar shapes, but different sizes; and terminal receiving portions which are provided at the end plates and in which the positive and negative terminals at the both ends of each of the battery modules are fitted. This structure can facilitate attaching of the battery modules to the battery case without misattachment of both terminals of each battery module, thus resulting in a reduced number of assembling steps.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A storage battery unit (A), comprising; 
       a number of battery modules ( 3 ) each consisting of a row of a plurality of single cells ( 2 ) connected electrically and mechanically in series, and each battery module having a positive terminal ( 3   a ) at one end of the module and a negative terminal ( 3   b ) at the other end of the module;  
       a battery case ( 1 ) provided to hold said battery modules ( 3 );  
       end plates ( 6 , 7 ) positioned at opposite ends of said battery case ( 1 ), and each of the end plates having terminal receiving portions ( 6   a , 7   a ) to respectively receive said terminals ( 3   a,b ) of a battery module; and  
       bus bars ( 8 ) respectively inserted in said end plates ( 6 ,  7 ) to effect electrical connection between said terminals ( 3   a,b ) of respective ones of said battery modules;  
       wherein, in an individual one of said modules, said positive terminal ( 3   a ) and said negative terminal ( 3   b ) are shaped with the same configuration but with different sizes from each other, and said terminal receiving portions ( 6   a , 7   a ) are shaped and sized to fit the corresponding ones of the terminals ( 3   a,b ).  
     
     
       2. The storage battery unit(A) according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
       each of said terminal receiving portions ( 6   a , 7   a ) has a guide face ( 10 ) at an insertion mouth thereof for guiding a corresponding terminal ( 3   a,b ) of each of said battery modules ( 3 ).  
     
     
       3. The storage battery unit (A) according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
       in an individual one of said modules, said positive terminal ( 3   a ) and said negative terminal ( 3   b ) have screw holes ( 8   a ) in respective end faces thereof to fasten said terminals ( 3   a,b ) to said bus bars ( 8 ) with bolts, the screw hole of said positive terminal being of different size from the screw hole of said negative terminal, and said bus bars ( 8 ) are provided with insertion openings matched in configuration and size with the corresponding screw holes ( 8   a ).  
     
     
       4. The storage battery unit (A) according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
       said screw holes ( 8   a ) for the larger terminals ( 3   a,b ) are made with a smaller hole than that of said screw holes ( 8   a ) for the smaller terminals ( 3   a,b ).  
     
     
       5. A storage battery unit (A), comprising: 
       a number of battery modules ( 3 ) each consisting of a row of a plurality of single cells ( 2 ) connected electrically and mechanically in series, and each battery module having a positive terminal ( 3   a ) at one end of the module and a negative terminal ( 3   b ) at the other end of the module;  
       a battery case ( 1 ) provided to hold said battery modules ( 3 );  
       end plates ( 6 , 7 ) positioned at opposite ends of said battery case ( 1 ), and each of the end plates having terminal receiving portions ( 6   a ,  7   a ) to respectively receive said terminals ( 3   a,b ) of a battery module; and  
       bus bars ( 8 ) respectively inserted in said end plates ( 6 , 7 ) to effect electrical connection between said terminals ( 3   a,b ) of respective ones of said battery modules;  
       wherein said positive terminal ( 3   a ) and said negative terminal ( 3   b ) of one of said modules are shaped with the same configuration but with different sizes from each other, and said terminal receiving portions ( 6   a , 7   a ) are shaped and sized with corresponding shapes and sizes to fit corresponding ones of said positive terminal ( 3   a ) and said negative terminal ( 3   b ).